Mining machine



Dec. 24, 1940. l.. E. slMMoNs 2,225,656

MINING MACHINE Filed OCT.. l2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Leon E i2/72220225.

Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,225,666 l MINING MACHINE Leon E. Simmons, Claremont, N. 11.. aslignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 12, 1938, Serial No. 234,554

- 10 Claims. (Cl. 254187) This invention relates to mining machines and more particularly to improvements in coal cutting mining machines of the flexibly fed, floor cutter type. r ai..

.5 An object of'this invention is to provide an improved coal cutting machine of the exibly fed, floor cutter type. Another object is to provide an improved coal cutting machine of the flexibly fed, iioor cutter type wherein relatively rotat- 10 able cable winding drums are employed for feeding and guiding the machine both during maneuvering of the machine with respect to the coal face and during the cutting operation. and having improved driving and controlling means l5 for the guiding drum. Yet another object is to provide an improved guiding means for a coal cutting machine and having improved means fox-.effecting guiding-drum-drive and for braking drum rotation when the drum drive is discon- 20 nected. A further object is to provide an improved means for releasing the guiding drum for free rotation. Other objects and advantages of the invention will, however,` hereinafter more fully appear. Y 85 In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a coal cutting machine a constructed in accordance, with an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the coal cutting machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. l. i

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary vertical sectional views taken in the plane of Fig. 3, showing parts in different positions. 4 Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 6t of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on line1`1 of Fis. 3.

In this illustrative embodiment of the invention, theimproved guiding means is shown embodied in a coal cutting machine of the iiexibly fed, door cutter type, which, in certain respects, may be of the same general character as that disclosed in a copending application of Joseph F. so Joy, Serial No. 141,498, nled May 8, 1937, al-

though it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in coal cutting machines of various other types.

The coal cutting machine disclosed herein com- 5B prises a frame I having, a bottom plate 2 provided with a smooth bottom surface 3 'adapted to rest upon and slide in any direction over the mine floor. Secured within the forward portion of the machine frame and projecting forwardly from the machine is an elongated plane cutter 5 o bar 4 having guided for circulation about its margin an endless cutter-bit-carrying cutter chain 5. Arranged at opposite sides of the machine frame on horizontal axes extending transversely of the'machine are relatively rotatable 1o feeding and guiding drums 6 and 1 having respectively wound thereon feeding and controlling cables I and l. Arranged at the opposite front corners of the machine are conventional front swing arms il carrying front guide sheavesvll, l5 while arranged near the opposite rear corners of the machine are appropriately located guide sheaves l2 and II, and these guide sheaves are adapted to guide the feeding and guiding cables in various directions relative to the machinein the' manner well understood by those skilled in the art. Carried within the rearward portion of the machine frame is a horizontal motor Il, herein preferably of the reversible electric type, having fixed to the forward end of its power shaft l5 abevel pinion I Smashing with a large bevel gear I1. 'I'he bevel gear l1 is arranged coaxially with and connectible to a vertical .shaft ll, and keyed to and driven by this shaft is a.worm i! mesh` ing with a worm wheel 20. This worm wheel is 30 secured to andedrives a transverse shaft 2i suitably ;lournaled within the machine frame, and keyed to this shaft. at one end thereof, is a spur gear 22 meshing with a spur gear 23 keyed to a parallel counter-shaft 24 suitably journaled with- `35 in the adjacent side of the machine frame. Keyed to and driven by the shaft 24 is a spur gear 2i meshing with an internal gear 26 connectible into driving relation with the feed drum I.'

Now referring tothe improved driving and controlling means for the guiding drum 1, it will be noted that keyed to the opposite end of and driven by the shaft Il is a drive gear 21 with which is adapted to mesh a gear 28 suitably journaled on a horizontal stub shaft 2! formed in- 45 tegral with a vertically swingable frame ll pivoted at Il on the adjacent Iside of the machine frame. Arranged coaxially with the gear 28 and journaled on the shaft 2! and the hub 32 of the gear is the guiding drum 1.` The 1 is connected in driving relation with the hub of the 'gear 2l by a conventional multiple disc clutch. 3l. .The operating means for the disc clutch 3l comprises an operating piston Il arranged within a cylinder 3i formed centrally 55 guiding drum 5o.

within the stub shaft 28, and this piston engages clutch operating levers 38, so that when fluid under pressure is supplied to the cylinder, the piston 84 is moved axially, thereby to swing the levers 86 about their pivots and as a result to apply the clutch to connect the drum in driving relation with the gear 28. As illustrated, the swinging frame has an integral, rearwardly extending lever arm 81 whereby the swinging frame may be swung in a vertical direction about its pivot 8| to move the gear 28 into and out of meshing engagement with the drive gear 21, the frame 88 being cut away at 88 to permit engagement of the gear 28 with the gear 21, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Secured to the adjacent side of the machine frame below the frame 88 is a stationary gear segment or rack 88, and the lower portion of the frame 80 is cut away at 48 to permit engagement of the gear 28 with the teeth of the stationary gear segment, thereby positively to lock the gear 28 against rotation. When the gear 28 is out of meshing engagement with the gear 21 and the guiding drum 1 is disconnected from its drive and the gear 28 is locked against rotation by the stationary gear segment 28, the disc clutch 88 may be operated to act as a brake, and the gear 28 at that time acts as a stationary reactance member for the brake. It will thus be seen that the guiding drum 1 may be driven by the gear 28 under the control of the disc clutch 88 to wind in its guiding cable, may be operated to pay out its guiding cable under the control of the frictional resistance effected by the clutch 88 when the gear 28 is locked against rotation, or may be operated freely to unwind its cable without frictional resistance.

Now referring to the means for swinging the frame lever arm 81 to swing the frame 88 about its pivot, it will be noted that journaled in bearing sleeves supported by a bracket 42 secured to the adjacent side of the machine frame is a horizontal operating shaft 48 having an eccentric shaft portion 44. The eccentric 44 of the shaft engages in a slot 48 in the lever 81, and when the shaft 48 is rotated, the eccentric operates in the lever slot to swing the frame 88 either upwardly or downwardly in a vertical direction about its pivot. Pivotally connected at 48 to the outer end of the shaft 48 is an operating lever 41, and this operating lever is swingable into engagement with notches 48 and 48 formed in the bracket 42 for holding the eccentric 44 in its different adjusted positions. It will thus be seen that when the lever 41 is in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3 with the eccentric 44 in its uppermost position, the frame 88 is in its raised position with the gear 28 in meshing engagement with the drive gear 21, and when the lever 41 is swung through relative to the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown inFig. 5, the eccentric 44 is in its lowermost position with the frame 88 swung downwardly about its pivot to bring the teeth of the drum gear 28 in meshing engagement with the teeth of the stationary gear segment 89. When the lever 41 is in its intermediate position in engagement with the notch 48 shown in Fig. 4. the drum gear 28 is held out of meshing engagement with both the drive gear 21 and the teeth of the stationary gear segment 88 so that the drum gear 28 at that time may freely rotate.

'I'he mode of operation of the improved mining machine is as follows: When the machine has been maneuvered by the feeding and guiding drums 8 and 1 and their cooperating feeding and guiding cables into cutting position adjacent the coal face at the right hand rib, the operator extends the cables 8 and 8 from their respective drums around certain of the guide sheaves Il, l2 and I8 to suitable'anchor Jacks located respectively at the right hand rib andnear the coal face in advance of the machine. The cutter chain 5 is then connected in any appropriate manner to the motor I4, preferably through the bevel gearing I 8, l1 under the control of aconventional cutter chain drive clutch all in the manner clearly described in the copending Joy application above referred to. As is also clearly described in the above mentioned Joy application, the feed drum 8 is mounted on a swinging frame and may be swung about the frame pivot to bring the internal gear 28, connectible to the drum 8, into meshing engagement with the drum driving gear 28. The feeding drum 8 may be rotated in winding direction to draw in the feed cable 8 and also, by swinging of the frame 88 to bring the drum gear 28 into meshing engagement with the drive gear 21, the guiding drum 1 may be driven in winding direction to draw in the guiding cable; and as a result the machine may be fed bodily toward the coal to sump the cutter bar 4 beneath the coal at the rib.l When the sumping cut is completed. the anchor jack for the feeding cable 8 may be knocked down and transferred to a position near the coal face at the left hand rib with the feeding cable 8 extending laterally from the guide sheave at the advancing side of the machine across the coal face to the anchor Jack. When the parts are in this relation, the -feeding and guiding drums may be operated to wind in their respective cables to effect straightening up of the machine and thereafter to feed the machine bodily transversely across the coal face to effect the transverse cutting operation. When the machine approaches the left hand rib, it may be angled with respect to the rib by the guiding drum 1, and upon relocation of the anchor jacky for the feeding cable 8, the machine may be fed rearwardly away from the coal face to eect withdrawal of the cutter bar from beneath the coal, thereby to complete the cutting operation. When it is desired to free the guiding drum 1 from its drive to permit free drum rotation so that the guiding cable may be manually unwound from its drum, this may be accomplished at any time simply by swinging the drum gear 28 out of mesh `with the drum drive gear 21 but not into mesh with the segment 88, as shown in ll'ig.,4. The guiding drum may rotate in unwinding direction to pay out its cable under the control of frictional resistance simply by swinging the drum gear 28 into engagement with the stationary gear segment 28, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby to permit the drum to rotate in unwinding direction under the control of the friction clutch, the latter at that time acting as a brake and the drum gear serving as a reactance member against which the brake reacts. The eccentric shaft mechanism 48, 44 serves to` move the drum gear into any of its different positions and to lock it there.

As a result of this invention, it will be noted that an improved mining machine of the flexibly fed, noor cutter type is provided having improved driving and controlling means for the guiding drum. It will further be evident that by the provision of the improved-driving and controlling means for the guiding drum, the latter may not only be driven inv cable winding direction under the control o! a friction clutch, but may also ro tate' in cable unwinding direction under the control of frictional resistance, the friction clutch atthattimeservingasabraketocontroldrum rotation. It will also be noted that by the provision of the improved guiding and controlling means for the guiding drum, the latter may be :entirely disconnected from its drive and its brake and permitted freely to rotate wholly independently of its drive, thereby permitting manual unwinding of its cable `from the drum. Other uses and advantages of the improved mining machine will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. Y

While there is in this application speciiically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form oi the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modined and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a mining machine, the combination comprising a cable winding drum. a swingable trame on which said drum is journaled, a driving gear rotatable on a nxed axis parallel to the frame pivot axis and relative to which the frame is swingable, a gear coaxial with said drum and mounted therewith on said swingable frame, a friction clutch for connecting said coaxial gear in driving relation with said drum, a stationary lock. and means cooperating with said swingable frame for swinging the latter about its pivot to move said coaxial gear selectively into meshing engagement with said driving gear or into locking engagement with said lock, said friction clutch acting as a drum brake when said coaxial gear is held stationary by said lock.

2. In a mining machine, the combination oomprising a cable winding drum, a swingable frame on which said drum is journaled, a driving gear rotatable on a iixed axis parallel to the frame pivot axis and relative to which the frame is swingable, a gear coaxial with said drum and mounted therewith on. said swingable frame, a friction clutch for connecting said coaxial gear in driving relation with said drum, a stationary lock, and means cooperating with said swingable frame for swinging the latter about its pivot .selectively to move said coaxial gear into meshing engagement with said driving gear or into locking engagement with said lock, said friction clutch acting as a drum brake when said coaxial gear is held stationary by said lock, said frame also being swingable by said swinging means into an intermediate position to move said coaxial gear out oi engagement with both said driving gear and said lock to permit free drum rotation.

3. In a mining machine, the combination comprising a cable winding drum. a driving gear, a gear connectible in operable driving relation with said drum, a stationary lock, means for moving said second mentioned gear selectively into meshing engagement with said driving gear or into locking engagement with said lock, said lock holding said second mentioned gear against rotation when said gears are out of mesh and said second mentioned gear is in locking engagement withv said lock. and means for connecting said drum to and for disconnecting the same from said second mentioned gear, said connecting and disconnecting means, when said gears are out of mesh and said second mentioned gear is in locking engagementwithsaidlochbeing adiustable toprovide frictional resistance to drum rotation. 4. Inamimngmachine,theeombinationcom prising aca'blewindingdrum. adriving gear rotatableonareiativelyiixedaxiaagearcon- 5 nectible into Native driving relation with said drum,astationarylock,meansformo\mtingsaid second mentioned gear ior movement selectively into meshing engagement with said driving gear or into locking engagement with said lock, said 1g.

mounting means comprising a movably mounted frame on which said second mentioned gear is journaled. said lock holding said second men-- tioned gear against rotation when said gears are out of mesh and said second mentioned gear is in 15 locking engagement with said lock, and means for connecting said drum to and for disconnecting the same from said second mentioned gear, said connecting and disconnecting means. when said gears are out ot mesh and said second mentioned 20 gear is in locking engagement with said lock, being adjustable to provide frictional resistance to drum rotation.

5. In a mining machine, the combination comprising a cable winding drum, a driving gear, a 25 gear connectible into operative driving relation with said drum, a friction clutch for connecting said second mentioned gear in driving relation `with said drum, a stationary lock, and means for moving said second mentioned gear selectively into meshing engagement with said driving gear or into locking engagement with said lock, said lock adapted to hold said second mentioned gear stationary and said friction clutch then being operative to act as a drum brake.

6. In a mining machine, the combination comprising a cable winding drum, a swingable frame on which said drum is Iiournaled. said frame having a lever arm, a driving gear rotatable on a fixed axis parallel to the swingable frame pivot axis and relative to which said frame is swingable, a gear coaxial with said drum and mounted therewith on said swingable frame, a friction clutch for connecting said coaxial gear in driving relation with said drum.. a stationary lock relative to which said frame is swingable, and means cooperating with said lever arm for swinging said frame to move said coaxial gear selectively into meshing engagement with said driving gear or into locking engagement with said lock. said friction clutch acting as a drum brake when said coaxial gear is held stationary by said lock.

'1. In a mining machine, the combination comprising a. cable winding drum, a swingable frame pivoted on an axis parallel to the axis of drum rotation, a driving gear rotatable on an axis parallel to the pivotal axis of said swingable frame, said frame being swingable relative to said driving gear, a gear coaxial with said drum and mounted therewith on said swingable frame, a friction clutch for connecting said drum in driving relation with `said coaxial gear, means engaging said swingable frame for selectively swinging the latter about its pivot in one direction to move said'coaxial gear into meshing engagement with said driving gear and in the opposite direction to move said coaxial gear out of mesh with said driving gear, and means with which said coaxial gear is engageable when out of mesh with said driving gear for holding said coaxial gear against rotation, said clutch being releasable to permit drum rotation when said gears are out of mesh and said coaxial gear is held against rotation and also adapted to act as a brake frictionally to resist drum rotation when said coaxial gear is held against rotation,

8. In a mining machine, the combination comprising a cable winding drum, a swingable frame on which said drum is Journaled, a driving gear rotatable on an axis parallel to the frame pivot axis and relative to which said frame is swingable. a gear coaxial with said drum and mounted therewith on said swingable frame, a friction clutch for connecting said drum in coaxial relation with said coaxial gear, means cooperating with said swingable frame for swinging the latter'about its pivot to move said coaxial gear selectively into engagement with said driving gear or out of meshing engagement therewith, and means for holding said coaxial gear against rotation when said coaxial gear is out of mesh With `Said driving gear, said friction clutch acting as a drum brake when said coaxial gear is held against rotation.

9. In a mining machine, the combination comprising a cable winding drum, a swingable frame on which said drum is journaled, a driving gear rotatable on an axis parallel to the frame pivot axis and relative to which said frame is swingable, a gear coaxial with said drum and mounted therewith on said swingable frame, a friction clutch for connecting said drum in driving relation with said coaxial gear, means cooperating with said swingable frame for swinging the latter about its pivot selectively to move said coaxial gear into and out of meshing engagement with said driving gear, and means for holding said coaxial gear against rotation when said gears are out 'of meshing engagement. said friction clutch acting as a. drum brake when said coaxial gear is held against rotation, said frame also being swingable by said swinging means into an intermediate position to move said coaxial gear out of engagement with both said driving gear and said holding means.

10. In a mining machine, the combination compris'lng a cable winding drum, a swingable frame on which said drum is journaled, said trame having a lever arm, a driving gear rotatable on an axis parallel to the swingable frame pivot axis and relative to which said frame is swingable, a gear coaxial with said drum and mounted therewith on said swingable frame, a friction clutch for connecting said drum in driving relation with said coaxial gear, means cooperating with said lever arm for swinging said frame to move said coaxial gear selectively into and out of meshing engagement with said driving gear, and meansV for holding said coaxial gear against rotation when said gears are out of meshing engagement, said friction clutch acting as a drum brake when said coaxial gear is held against rotation.

LEON E. SIMMONS. 

